MUSKEGON, Mich. — Muskegon County Commissioner Darrell Paige passed away over the weekend, following a battle with cancer that lasted over a year. Now, the Muskegon County Commission has 30 days from Saturday, the day he passed, to appoint his successor.
WATCH: 'Such a great loss': Muskegon County Commissioner dies at 65, leaving board 30 days to fill seat
If the board cannot agree on someone to fill Paige's seat, it will remain empty until a special election is held, according to Muskegon County Clerk Karen Buie.
"Hopefully the commissioners can come to some agreement, because even if they make the appointment, that person will still have to run for election in August, if there's a primary, and in November," Buie said.
Paige served the county's District 7, which includes all of Muskegon Heights and parts of Norton Shores and the city.
If commissioners cannot agree on an appointment within the 30-day window, Buie believes it would be a disservice to neighbors.
"I think it would be a disservice if that community has to wait until January of 2027 to have anybody that speaks to their needs and their wants in their community," Buie said.
Buie tells me she and Paige were friends for decades, and his presence will be greatly missed.
"It's such a great, great loss. I don't even know if there are any words to really express how sad we are and how much we miss him," Buie said.
Buie remembers Paige, a commissioner and former mayor of Muskegon Heights, as loving, kind, and wise, adding he was 'a valiant fighter' until the end.
"He was a man of great faith, and all the way until the Lord called him home, he was just so calm and loving and secure in who he was in the Lord," Buie said.
Commissioner Paige was just 65 years old.
Buie says for neighbors in this tight-knit community, it feels like they've lost family.
"There's nobody that can fill those shoes, but there is someone that God has ready to take that place," Buie said.
The Muskegon County Board of Commissioners will meet on Thursday, where the next steps will be discussed — with public comment on the agenda.
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